Lebanon’s Hizbollah militant group announced that it is entering a “new and escalating phase” in its conflict with Israel on the northern border, shortly after Israel reported the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza to the south. In a statement issued early on Friday, Hizbollah highlighted its military progress against the Israel Defense Forces in southern Lebanon and indicated plans to escalate its confrontation with Israel in the coming days.
Following Hamas’s lethal attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Hizbollah began launching rockets into Israel from Lebanon in an act of solidarity with Gaza. The ongoing conflict over the past year has largely been characterized by tit-for-tat exchanges along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, resulting in the displacement of tens of thousands of people on both sides.
Recent developments saw Israel intensifying its campaign against Hizbollah late last month after it had subdued most resistance from Hamas in Gaza. According to Israeli reports, Sinwar was killed in Gaza when Israeli forces spotted him by chance in the Rafah area in the southern part of the enclave. Sinwar was credited with orchestrating last year’s October 7 attack, during which Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel and captured over 250 hostages, marking the deadliest confrontation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s history. Hamas has yet to respond to the news of Sinwar’s death.
Sinwar’s death represents a crucial development in the year-long conflict, dealing a significant blow to the Palestinian militant organization and delivering a symbolic triumph to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Describing the event as a “victory of good over evil,” Netanyahu expressed that this signaled the beginning of a post-Hamas era in Gaza and suggested that militants should use this opportunity to release the 101 remaining Israeli hostages to secure their lives.
Western leaders view Sinwar’s death as a potential catalyst to revive efforts aimed at resolving the conflict, which, according to Gaza’s health authorities, has caused over 42,000 Palestinian fatalities. U.S. President Joe Biden expressed that Sinwar’s death represents a favorable development for Israel and an opportunity for a political resolution that promises a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged Israel to end its military campaign in Lebanon.
Last month, Israel escalated its operations against Hizbollah, launching thousands of air strikes that have devastated regions in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, resulting in the deaths of many in Hizbollah’s senior leadership, including leader Hassan Nasrallah. Additionally, Israel deployed ground troops into southern Lebanon over two weeks ago, who continue to engage in combat with Hizbollah fighters along the border.
On Thursday, Israel confirmed the death of five soldiers in a confrontation with Hizbollah in southern Lebanon, bringing the total number of Israeli military casualties since the ground invasion began to 16. Eight more IDF troops sustained severe injuries in southern Lebanon since Wednesday. Throughout the past year of fighting, hundreds of Hizbollah fighters have been killed, though the group ceased issuing death notices in late September.
Israel has yet to retaliate for a ballistic missile attack by Iran on October 1, which supports both Hamas and Hizbollah. Israeli leaders have vowed a “severe” response against the Islamic Republic. Following Sinwar’s death, Iran’s mission to the UN stated that the “spirit of resistance will be strengthened.”